The Atlas-Allied company was based in Los Angeles and built fiberglass bodies of various sizes. The design of the body was based on the Cisitalia 202 coupe. From the early 1950s until the company went out of business in 1955, approximately 25 coupes and roadsters were sold. It appears some may have been built atop the MG TD chassis while others may have been built on the Kurtis 500 chassis. The cars were called the Swallow and were conceived by Bill Burke, Mickey Thompson, and Roy Kinch. Kinch was the founder of Atlas, a fiberglass supplier. Thompson was a speed equipment supplier, and Burke was a racer and tuner. The Swallow was built to accommodate wheelbase sizes of 94 inches and 100 inches. The coupe listed for around $700 while the roadster sold for nearly $600. For the price, the buyer got the body comprised of fiberglass and strengthened with .5-inch steel tubes throughout the structure. It included all the glass for the windows, a new grille, taillights, and headlights. Allied could either build the customer a custom chassis, or it could be mounted on a donor chassis such as the MG T-series. From there, the buyers could retain the stock MG equipment or further customize it to their heart's content. Some reportedly had brake and suspension upgrades while others installed larger and more powerful V8 powerplants.The design of the body was sourced (er, stolen) from the Cisitalia 202, which had been designed by Pinin Farina. Vignale also built three examples of the Cisitalia 202 to the Pininfarina design. They were built from aluminum and powered by a four-cylinder engine. The design was considered an aesthetic and technical achievement that helped change and shape the post-war automobile body design. It had modern flush-fender sides, a large glass area, flush door handles, and bold sweeps and curves. The design was so attractive that in 1951, New York's Museum of Modern Art declared the Cisitalia 202 Gran Sport as one of the 10 best automotive designs of all time and brought one for permanent display.The Atlas-Allied car company felt the undeniable beauty and accolades of the Cisitalia, combined with the new fiberglass technology, would make a successful product. They hoped the European styling and lower production costs would attract a wide range of buyers. In the end, around 25 examples of all body styles were built.
by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019
by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019
Atlas-Allied
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